> On Jun 9, 12:52=A0pm, fiddler crabby
ya-nospam-hoo.com>
> wrote:>> I've got a late-70s 10 speed that I'm considering converting to either
>> fixed or single gear. Anyone here have any experience building one? Are
>> there local shops that stock parts at a good price (I'm thinking about a
>> flip-flop hub)?
>>
>
>
> Glad ya asked! I ride a road fixed gear around 200 miles per week.
> Brakes on both ends. Japanese flared bars. French cotton tape. 32mm
> high threadcount skinwall tires that I like to call "poofy lights". Oh
> to be idiosyncratic! I take the thing on fire roads as well. Variable
> gears? Bah, for the elderly and infirm!
>
> Here's the best guide:
>
>
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html
I've been reading there. Along with
http://fixedgeargallery.com, and a
couple of other forums here and there.
Conversion doesn't look too complicated, and the simpler-is-better
esthetic is appealing.
> I run 42x15 gearing, which is enough for most terrain around here, and
> the 42 will use the inner ring of most old chainsets. I'm a big brute
> of a veteran rider, mind, so you might want to consider a 17t rear
> cog. My knees might want to consider a 17t rear cog at times...
I haven't ridden in a long while because of some health issues, so
stamina/strength aren't what they used to be. I'll be starting out easy,
but then swapping out as I regain what I lost.
I really, _really_ miss biking.
> If you have an alloy front crank, you can remove the unwanted front
> ring, move the small ring to the big ring position, and replace the
> bolts with short bmx ones. About $5. You can get cool colored ones
> from the skate shop.
>
>
> Quickest option: Go to the Bike Pedlar and pick up a pre-built wheel,
> cog, and a chain, mount up and ride. There will be much talk about
> whether you want a freewheel lower than your cog for rides home and
> yadda yadda on your flip flop...but the reality is that you'll ride it
> as a single speed for a while, flip it to fixed gear, and either love
> it or hate it,and stick with one or the other.
What's the price range on a pre-built from Bike Pedlar?
>
>
> Sticking with OEM. This can be very very cheap, but needs to be done
> right. It's all about the chain line. Don't screw that up. Remove the
> freewheel--have the shop do it, it's cheaper than getting the tool.
> You can now thread on a bmx single speed freewheel ($20) or even a
> Dura Ace track cog ($20), but you'll need to dish and move the hub on
> the axle and true the wheel to correct the chain line. This is a job
> for a bike shop unless you're particularly handy.
The more I find out about reworking the old wheel, the more I think it
might be more than I want to do right now, especially considering the
shape the original rims are in.
> Note on running fixed on a freewheel hub: You can run a track cog on a
> freewheel hub: 1. if you use locktite. 2. if you use brakes at both
> ends. 3. as a final precaution, an old bottom bracket lockring may be
> used as a lockring, but if ya got brakes, it's not necessary, really.
>
>
>
> WARNING:
>
> Despite the hipsters you see on fixed gear bikes--riding one really is
> an advanced skill. You cannot coast. You cannot forget this. When
> working on the bike, do not forget it either, or you will lose a
> finger.
Coasting on hills and on tight corners is what's holding me back from
jumping right into fixed gear, along with not being able to position the
pedals to avoid obstacles.
Thanks, maxo! This is just what I was looking for.
--fc
